Aliens: Colonial Marines

 Xbox 360
User Score
3.9

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 469 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 96 out of 469
  2. Mixed: 94 out of 469
  3. Negative: 279 out of 469
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  1. KleenexTex
    Feb 13, 2013
    4
    Please don't buy this game, it's a major disappointment all round. It's so bad I felt compelled to sign up to metacritic so that I could prevent others making the same mistake as me. Save your money or better yet, buy Borderlands 2 if you haven't already got it.
  2. Orlik666
    Feb 12, 2013
    2
    finished the single player mode yesterday. Game is very short (5 hours wtf!?), has really bad graphics and the gameplay feels like in low budget pc fps game. There is no horror atmosphere in this game bacause it was made as 4 player co op game (something like Dead Island but much much worse!). Multiplayer sucks, finding players takes you 1,5 minute and the lag kills the fun. No dedicatedfinished the single player mode yesterday. Game is very short (5 hours wtf!?), has really bad graphics and the gameplay feels like in low budget pc fps game. There is no horror atmosphere in this game bacause it was made as 4 player co op game (something like Dead Island but much much worse!). Multiplayer sucks, finding players takes you 1,5 minute and the lag kills the fun. No dedicated servers. Just simple p2p matchmaking like in CoD but created worse. There are multiplayer modes where you can play as alien versus humans. To tell you the truth, nobody wants to play as aliens because marines are way to powerfull. If marine players stick together, they always wins the match. The only option to win the multiplayer match as an aliens is when it is match where aliens have bigger numbers than marines (ex. 2 marines vs 6 aliens). In multiplayer match 6 vs 6 marines ALWAYS win. You can't choose sides, game does it for you like the developers knew that nobody would like to be alien.

    Oh! And one more funny thing! This game WAS NOT CREATED by Gearbox but 5 different developers. You can see their names in the campaign intro. Gearbox was supporting them with their brand. F*ck you SEGA and gearbox. Lost respect for those companies.    … Expand
  3. Boltfrowah
    Mar 5, 2013
    0
    I almost threw up in my mouth when I heard about this game. The gaming industry takes a whack at an Aliens game every few years, and it always ends up a heaping pile of burning slag. Crappy plot, crappy game play, crappy graphics. It's just a cluster-pile of badness. Anyone who gave this a "positive rating", I seriously question their neutrality as feedback. They're most likely shills forI almost threw up in my mouth when I heard about this game. The gaming industry takes a whack at an Aliens game every few years, and it always ends up a heaping pile of burning slag. Crappy plot, crappy game play, crappy graphics. It's just a cluster-pile of badness. Anyone who gave this a "positive rating", I seriously question their neutrality as feedback. They're most likely shills for the developers. And when the overall score was as bad as this, uh, yes I WILL listen to the critics.… Expand
  4. TheQuietGamer
    Dec 13, 2014
    4
    It looks like Aliens. It sounds like Aliens. It just doesn't feel like Aliens. Unfortunately what it does feel like is a bad FPS game. That's because it is one. Gearbox has squandered any potential the game could have had.

    The story is convoluted, bland, and at times really dumb. It's hard to give a crap about these meathead characters and often harder to distinguish which one is which.    It looks like Aliens. It sounds like Aliens. It just doesn't feel like Aliens. Unfortunately what it does feel like is a bad FPS game. That's because it is one. Gearbox has squandered any potential the game could have had.

    The story is convoluted, bland, and at times really dumb. It's hard to give a crap about these meathead characters and often harder to distinguish which one is which. There are moments where it mixes things up for the series fiction (a character from the movie makes an appearance), but overall it feels like a waste of time. The fact that it's cannon to the series is disappointing. I really wish it wasn't on both accounts.

    The story mode still could have redeemed itself had the gameplay been good. It's not. When it's not being a subpar and generic FPS, it's being a bad and boring one. Gearbox has taken one of the most iconic and threatening sci-fi creatures of all time and turned them into generic cannon-fodder. Shooting these almost mindless drones who do nothing other than jump in front of your crosshairs can be mindless fun at times, but it's sad to see them offer almost no threat to the player.

    Even worse are the human enemies. First of all why are we even shooting other humans? It's an Aliens game. The only things I want to shoot in an Aliens game are Xenomorphs. These shootouts are often tedious. It's simple pop-and-shoot gameplay. Constantly having to duck in and out of cover just slows things down. I was annoyed every time human enemies would appear and couldn't wait to get past them. They're almost dumber than the Xenos.

    Not even co-op can save the campaign. Sure it is a little bit more fun to play with some buddies, but it doesn't make the actual game better. It just means you have people whose company you enjoy suffering with you.

    The game does find a little bit of enjoyment it's multiplayer. However nowadays the only matches you are going to be able to find are team deathmatch. Balancing issues do get in the way. Playing as a marine is much more enjoyable than playing as a Xeno.

    Xenos are noticeably underpowered compared to the gun-toting marines. Their melee attacks are underpowered and they can't take as much punishment. The Xeno team is basically the losing one. Playing as a marine is quite fun. Teaming up with other players and trying to survive being hunted actually evokes the feeling of the film.

    The key to winning these matches is just getting for your team to get as many kills as you can a marine, and then when you switch to Xenos just try to not let the others catch up. When the marine players bunch up it's almost impossible to get kills as a Xeno. The multiplayer is almost dead and not worth putting down the more enjoyable shooters to experience.

    Typically bad licensed games like this one are at least worth a rental for hardcore fans just to see what they have to offer. That isn't the case with this game. The references, easter eggs, fan-service, and cannon-story aren't worth the pain it will cause your inner Aliens fan. You're better off acting like this game doesn't exist. It's an Aliens game in title alone.    … Expand
  5. z14170
    Mar 6, 2013
    1
    A complete LIE! Gearbox lied gamers by showing amazing Demos at E3 and other events, at the very last end the game showed up completely different. ALCM has horrible in game design, lots of glitches, frame rate issues and no resemblance at all with the Demos showed by Gearbox. Graphics are horrible and gameplay is even worst. Gearbox should get sued by SEGA, for creating such a terribleA complete LIE! Gearbox lied gamers by showing amazing Demos at E3 and other events, at the very last end the game showed up completely different. ALCM has horrible in game design, lots of glitches, frame rate issues and no resemblance at all with the Demos showed by Gearbox. Graphics are horrible and gameplay is even worst. Gearbox should get sued by SEGA, for creating such a terrible game and running such a big scam on gamers.… Expand
  6. DiRTY8SUPER
    Mar 7, 2013
    1
    How to write 150 words on this game? AWFUL TERRIBLE AWFUL TERRIBLE AWFUL TERRIBLE AWFUL TERRIBLE AWFUL TERRIBLE AWFUL TERRIBLE AWFUL TERRIBLE AWFUL TERRIBLE AWFUL TERRIBLE AWFUL TERRIBLE
  7. ParanormalPett
    Mar 6, 2013
    0
    Don't buy this game. Shocking A.I, rubbish story, it looks sounds and plays like an old PS1 game....and that isn't even fair to most PS1 games. I am a fan of the Alien movies, but this just wipes it arse with all the best bits from the movies. This game was 7 years in production and it is a disgrace to the industry. Should never been allowed to come out. Do yourself a favour and stay away.
  8. timobits
    Mar 30, 2013
    0
    The storyline is great, however, the gameplay isn't. My cousin and I just recently played "Aliens: Colonial Marines" on Hardcore/insane difficulty for s*** n' giggles. After about 4-5 hours of non-stop game time we both had finished the game and complaining about the difficulty isn't as challenging as we both thought it would be. The multiplayer is okay, yet, it needs some improvement. TheThe storyline is great, however, the gameplay isn't. My cousin and I just recently played "Aliens: Colonial Marines" on Hardcore/insane difficulty for s*** n' giggles. After about 4-5 hours of non-stop game time we both had finished the game and complaining about the difficulty isn't as challenging as we both thought it would be. The multiplayer is okay, yet, it needs some improvement. The atmosphere for a common horror game isn't there, unlike the first Dead Space or any game that I could named out that is completely more terrifying than this... It's a major disappointment, just buy anything else than this.… Expand
  9. Brbreview
    Apr 24, 2013
    3
    Theres alot of things this game does wrong but a few things right. First of all, the atmosphere of the game fits with alien's franchise. Also the multiplier is pretty enjoyable but the lacks of map makes the game die fast. But the game gets pretty much everything else wrong. The graphics are really outdated and visually the game looks terrible. The biggest concern is the AI the AI willTheres alot of things this game does wrong but a few things right. First of all, the atmosphere of the game fits with alien's franchise. Also the multiplier is pretty enjoyable but the lacks of map makes the game die fast. But the game gets pretty much everything else wrong. The graphics are really outdated and visually the game looks terrible. The biggest concern is the AI the AI will just stand around and do nothing. You can beat this game easily on the hardest difficulty. The boss at the ending is so terrible its not even funny. The story and characters are also terrible so there's not much to look forward in this game. The game was rushed and they should have token more time to work on it. A good year might have made the game worth checking out.… Expand
  10. biofan4eva
    May 23, 2013
    0
    A crappy falsely advertised game deserves nothing more than a zero
  11. WyattTheAwesome
    Jun 3, 2013
    0
    If you've played AVP, then you'll remember that the Marine campaign wasn't that great and not very entertaining. Well imagine playing as that the entire game. What you get is This is more than this is a station. Over 9000 glitches, bland graphics, and non challenging enemies, this makes me face palm at the entire Alien franchise. I borrowed this game from a friend and I still feltIf you've played AVP, then you'll remember that the Marine campaign wasn't that great and not very entertaining. Well imagine playing as that the entire game. What you get is This is more than this is a station. Over 9000 glitches, bland graphics, and non challenging enemies, this makes me face palm at the entire Alien franchise. I borrowed this game from a friend and I still felt ripped off. Do yourself a favor and don't buy this game. Not even if it's free. If you want to play a good game with Xenomorph's and Predators, try AVP… Expand
  12. TragicShow
    Mar 1, 2013
    4
    This game is pretty disappointing. The story isn't very compelling or even interesting for that matter. The AI is terrible, when the aliens charge your position, it seriously looks like a bland, cardboard cutout is moving across the ground. The graphics and appearance of the game are pretty bad. The only good part is
    the multiplayer, without the multiplayer, I would give it a 2.
  13. BoredEasily
    Mar 9, 2013
    1
    How they got away with putting this game on the shelves in 2013 is beyond me. Gameplay is terrible, i could have forgiven the fact that some of the visuals literally look like something out of Duke Nukem for the N64 if it was actually fun or entertaining, but it's not.... Multiplayer is terrible as well. went on eBay the same day i bought it
  14. Erupt50
    Feb 18, 2013
    3
    Not sure what I can say that hasn't been said already. Maybe this game needed another 6 years of development. I could forgive the horrible graphics if everything else wasn't just as bad. The player animations are terrible. The lip synching is almost laughable. The AI(both friendly and enemy) has to be the worst part of this game....almost to the point of making it unplayable. The singleNot sure what I can say that hasn't been said already. Maybe this game needed another 6 years of development. I could forgive the horrible graphics if everything else wasn't just as bad. The player animations are terrible. The lip synching is almost laughable. The AI(both friendly and enemy) has to be the worst part of this game....almost to the point of making it unplayable. The single player portion of this game is a 3/10. I'd give it a 2/10 if it wasn't an Aliens game.

    The multiplayer is really the only playable part of this game. Taking out the game's horrible AI and replacing it with human player AI shows signs of how great the game could have been. Unfortunately the multiplayer suffers from it's own set of problems and is unable to save the game overall. Matchmaking is pretty bad, as is the lag once you do get into a match. There are some pretty big balancing issues as well. Also, when playing as an alien the controls are inconsistent at best. There are only 4 modes to play as well, and although there is some customization and unlocks, after playing for a couple hours you will see the multiplayer portion of the game is not very deep at all.

    Don't make the mistake I did by buying this at full price. If you are a diehard Aliens fan either rent it, or wait for a price drop, which won't take long. This game is on the fast track to the bargain bin.    … Expand
  15. GregoryGoblin
    Mar 8, 2013
    3
    Feels like a 2002/3 Xbox game and would only have been average then. Very poor for a recent release. I thought it looked poor on preview sites, I couldn't beleive it when the full release so shoddy. 6 years for this, what a shame! When it hits the bargain buckets, it may be worth picking up for a fiver?
  16. Chicago
    Feb 19, 2013
    2
    For a game that was seven years in the making, it is terrible! I made an account just to warn people to stay away from this title. The positive reviews are either being paid off by gearbox and saga or are people that are in complete denial after paying $60 for a frisbee. The graphics are out of date, the multiplayer is broken, and the entire game takes place in a revolving square map thatFor a game that was seven years in the making, it is terrible! I made an account just to warn people to stay away from this title. The positive reviews are either being paid off by gearbox and saga or are people that are in complete denial after paying $60 for a frisbee. The graphics are out of date, the multiplayer is broken, and the entire game takes place in a revolving square map that slightly changes scenery. Even if you're an aliens fan, please wait for it to go on sale pre-owned and save yourself the headache. This game is so bad the GameStop near me is allowing opened returns to their loyal customers who they suggested the game to. I give it a 2, only because it has co-op.… Expand
  17. Demon_Shinigami
    Feb 13, 2013
    1
    This game was difficult to complete, not because it was hard, but because it's a complete mess.

    Took around 6 hours to finish, though I was both faffing around looking for dog tags and also constantly getting caught in bugs and glitches, at least 4 times have I been glitched into the ground unable to move forcing me to restart, or with full health just being instant killed by a single    This game was difficult to complete, not because it was hard, but because it's a complete mess.

    Took around 6 hours to finish, though I was both faffing around looking for dog tags and also constantly getting caught in bugs and glitches, at least 4 times have I been glitched into the ground unable to move forcing me to restart, or with full health just being instant killed by a single gunshot.

    Graphics could be ok, if I could see them... Textures take far too long to load.

    Not sure why many are saying the sound is great, characters lines kept erratically dipping in volume which forced me to turn on the subtitles, even then the subs sometimes never finished. One time all sound except the motion scanner was off, was really annoying...

    The only nice thing I can say is the level design was decent, the ship interiors were nicely modeled from the the movie though the outdoor areas looked like ass.

    The story left a lot unanswered, the ending sucked and was preceded by the shortest and easiest end boss fight I've ever done.

    The multiplayer is just pants-on-head unbalanced, as a marine just keep your back to the wall and you're golden, as the xeno, you're pretty much screwed.

    Overall the game is godawful, it feels unfinished and to have a season pass offered on day one feels like a slap in the face, I don't know how this could get so messed up after what they showed at E3. It should be illegal to release a game in such a state.    … Expand
  18. muzzirenti90
    Feb 14, 2013
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. If you could look past the graphics but with a game that has been in the process of ten year of development I didn’t expect anything more but to start of the game looked promising for the first half hour or so with the suspense of seeing a xenomorph in the shadows and not being able to shot it and with structure collapsing around you. Even being handed a motion scanner seemed to give this game a good vibe about the but unfortunately after the first level you had already seen all the game had to really throw at you. With very short cut scenes with terrible dialogue you couldn’t really connect with the very basic story line that didn’t keep you entertained. The more and more you progressed with the game the more you noticed how bland the environments, characters and guns etc really are and to make it worse the game was littered with countless numbers of glitches I found myself of teammates stuck in walls, falling through floors and shots from guns not registering. As promised I expected an intelligent alien AI to figure out how to hide in the shadows and surprise attacks but instead all I experienced was countless hordes of aliens running strait at you giving you plenty of time to react and kill with a few blasts of your guns. With the final boss being the Queen the game had a chance to restore some pride by giving you a badass boss battle to end but were let down again with a boss that can be easily defeated within a couple of minutes with teamwork, no bullets needed. This is the first game in a while that I couldn’t think on really any good points and that I was left thinking I have wasted my time and I was glad that it had ended.
    Multiplayer is also a huge disappointment with very weak aliens with bad controls and near to impossible to kill marines and a huge lack of customisation that was supposed to be a huge point to look unique online. Levels have a good size to them but with a lack of players in each round you can spend a while just trying to find enemies rather than being in the action.

    To summarise this game it is very short to which you can complete in about 5 hours (11 levels) and you don’t need tactics to complete this game with ease just an itchy trigger finger and the game becomes very irritating with a countless number of glitches. The only thing I liked about the game was a Easter egg from the movie Spaceballs which brought a smile to my face. If you are a fan of Alien and don’t want to be let down avoid this game as you will be left disappointed.    … Expand
  19. Hmantooth
    Feb 18, 2013
    1
    This game is terrible. I am simply stunned that it has found an audience of people who are prepared to defend it. With all the innovations and steps forward in modern gaming its amazing that this game manages to emulate shooters from 5 years ago so effortlessly. Graphics are awful, story is awful, gameplay is awful. Everything...is simply awful.
  20. Tyranosloth
    Feb 13, 2013
    2
    Unfortunately pre ordered the game. Avoid Avoid Avoid! If you want to buy this just watch a walkthrough and it will dispel the hype and your hopes. Developers, please ban the word "Hoorah" from all videogames effective immediately.
    One chapter in Colonic Latrines is actually called "Hoorah to Ashes" Really?! No wonder the writer of the game story Mike Neumann took a cruise after this,    Unfortunately pre ordered the game. Avoid Avoid Avoid! If you want to buy this just watch a walkthrough and it will dispel the hype and your hopes. Developers, please ban the word "Hoorah" from all videogames effective immediately.
    One chapter in Colonic Latrines is actually called "Hoorah to Ashes" Really?! No wonder the writer of the game story Mike Neumann took a cruise after this, hopefully there's a free bar. They left out things so you have to buy horde mode in DLC adding your losses to $75. Sorry Gearbox you know that's the main thing people loved (rebellions AVP) and you left it out. Dirty. Cash grab attempt to cover the money they know they're gonna lose on this game.    … Expand
  21. ocinom
    Feb 19, 2013
    2
    I wonder how much SEGA paid EGM to rate this awful game a 90. Anyway this game is really bad. Screen tear is noticeable and the graphics is bad. If you're an Alien/s fan probably get this on PC with all the mods, which I guess wouldn't save this unfinished mess
  22. armstrong2805
    Feb 23, 2013
    3
    A Complete putrid POS. What the hell were they thinking?! Awful story, horrible graphics, and inept AI left this game in shambles. Multiplayer was a joke. And a bad joke at that. And it being an 'Aliens' game where the hell were they for the first 3 missions out of the 11? It is an Aliens game right? So why does it turn out to be a CoD? Who sabotaged this game?! I want to know who didA Complete putrid POS. What the hell were they thinking?! Awful story, horrible graphics, and inept AI left this game in shambles. Multiplayer was a joke. And a bad joke at that. And it being an 'Aliens' game where the hell were they for the first 3 missions out of the 11? It is an Aliens game right? So why does it turn out to be a CoD? Who sabotaged this game?! I want to know who did it! But the game's environment and sound samples where dead on. But those two things could not save this game. Its a complete mess.… Expand
  23. pkreynolds
    Feb 19, 2013
    0
    Just terrible. Gearbox was completely dishonest to both the media and it's fans and knowingly released a product that was different than what they were showing only a few months earlier. Although Gearbox is remaining silent on the issue, it appears likely that the bulk of the game was farmed out to other development studios. All in all, this game is an example of exactly how not to run a studio.
  24. Parag0N
    Feb 13, 2013
    3
    This game is total GARBAGE! Anyone who rates this game over a 5 either works for Gearbox/Sega or knows nothing about videogames. I rented this thinking how bad can it really be...ohhh how I found out. Finished the campaign on hardest difficulty with about 30/50 achievements in about five hours. There are really about three levels in the game that you go back and fourth through three timesThis game is total GARBAGE! Anyone who rates this game over a 5 either works for Gearbox/Sega or knows nothing about videogames. I rented this thinking how bad can it really be...ohhh how I found out. Finished the campaign on hardest difficulty with about 30/50 achievements in about five hours. There are really about three levels in the game that you go back and fourth through three times with different lighting. All you do is shoot wave after wave of the same enemies over and over again then the credits role.. after the worst final boss encounter in years. Multiplayer is nothing that hasn't been done in every other game this generation. The only redeeming value to this experience was the sound effects which are spot on with the films. Believe it or not the terrible Alien Vs. Predator game from a few years back seems like a masterpiece compared to this trash. Shame on Gearbox for this terrible letdown of a product for all the fans of the Aliens franchise, fans of their previous work, and ruining the opportunity to create canon material for a movie franchise. THIS IS THE CANDIDATE FOR WORST GAME OF THE YEAR!!… Expand
  25. DanteTheCynic
    Feb 13, 2013
    0
    Look, this is the game that Duke Nukem Forever has nightmares about. It looks mediocre, it plays mediocre, it's developed by a mediocre company, and we didn't want mediocre. It doesn't do the films justice, it's just stupid and a huge letdown.
  26. NipplzDaClown
    Feb 17, 2013
    4
    I rented Aliens before I would spend another sixty dollars for a game I wasn't too sure about. I am glad I did because I wouldn't have spent thirty dollars on this game. While I did have a little bit of fun with a few hours of multiplayer matches the overall quality of game was not fully up to the sixty dollar price tag. As a gamer I am telling you to wait until this game is cheaper or toI rented Aliens before I would spend another sixty dollars for a game I wasn't too sure about. I am glad I did because I wouldn't have spent thirty dollars on this game. While I did have a little bit of fun with a few hours of multiplayer matches the overall quality of game was not fully up to the sixty dollar price tag. As a gamer I am telling you to wait until this game is cheaper or to rent it like I did.… Expand
  27. TH74
    Feb 12, 2013
    2
    So, apparently it takes years of delays and disappointment before you can release a truly awful game. Aliens: Colonial Marines is exhibit A. This comes from a big Aliens fan who has waited and waited for this title to be released.
    The graphics and textures make you think you're playing on the original Xbox, the story for the woefully short game is also dire (yes, a game with less than 6    So, apparently it takes years of delays and disappointment before you can release a truly awful game. Aliens: Colonial Marines is exhibit A. This comes from a big Aliens fan who has waited and waited for this title to be released.
    The graphics and textures make you think you're playing on the original Xbox, the story for the woefully short game is also dire (yes, a game with less than 6 hours of gameplay), no tension in the game and the motion tracker is a waste of time.
    Looks like Sega replaced their 'QA' dept with a 'Do we look bothered about the product' department.
    Don't get me started with the strange option to put a supressor onto your pulse rifle, only to find that you can't take it back off). Leave this load of rubbish well alone and keep your hard earned cash in your pocket.    … Expand
  28. PurplePlains
    Feb 13, 2013
    0
    The demo footage that was shown at E3 for this game looked absolutely amazing. There was dynamic lighting, the game had tonnes of atmosphere the enemy AI was slick. The same unfortunately cannot be said for the finished product which has no resemblance to the demo whatsoever and could be a completely different game all together. Put briefly, this is another FPS COD clone but so much worseThe demo footage that was shown at E3 for this game looked absolutely amazing. There was dynamic lighting, the game had tonnes of atmosphere the enemy AI was slick. The same unfortunately cannot be said for the finished product which has no resemblance to the demo whatsoever and could be a completely different game all together. Put briefly, this is another FPS COD clone but so much worse to the point of unplayability, the graphics are so outdated poor that explosions look like they are from an N64 game, with jagged textures and bugs rearing their heads at every possible moment. Gearbox have clearly LIED outright to gamers everywhere with the demo of this game I for one will not be purchasing a game from them in future, as a fan of the ALIENS franchise I found this not only hugely disappointing but also grossly offensive, it is one giant spit in fans' gamers' faces alike.… Expand
  29. illidan155
    Feb 12, 2013
    0
    Worst Game ever, Bad graphics, No story, The game is so unpolished that is not worth the money that it cost,
    The Engine appear to be so a low budget production, Also the game is very short.

    Very awful game stay away from it.
  30. mako_psy
    Feb 14, 2013
    2
    This has to be one of the worst first person shooters I've ever played on the Xbox. I'm really disappointed because I love the Alien franchise and I've been looking forward to this game for months. Firstly, everything feels very outdated... it's an extremely basic first person shooter with graphics that belong on the PS2. The checkpoint system is just a mess; the last thing I want to do isThis has to be one of the worst first person shooters I've ever played on the Xbox. I'm really disappointed because I love the Alien franchise and I've been looking forward to this game for months. Firstly, everything feels very outdated... it's an extremely basic first person shooter with graphics that belong on the PS2. The checkpoint system is just a mess; the last thing I want to do is have the same firefight over and over again just because a checkpoint didn't activate after I'd pressed three or so switches (perhaps acceptable on lower difficulties, but if you like a challenge this is a nightmare). Which brings me to my next point: switches! The entire game is simply going through corridor after corridor, activating switches and cutting through broken doors. It's nothing like the horror-survival/FPS hybrid I expected. There are no jump-out-of-your seat moments, despite the potential, since y'know... it's a game set in the world of Alien. The characters are all two-dimensional couldn't give a flying sh*t about any of them. What forced my hand to write a bad review was the glitches; if it's not a non-moving elevator, it's an NPC not doing what he's programmed to do, ultimately forcing you to restart from the last checkpoint that was two fights ago, do them again, and hope it works the second time around! (again, a nightmare if you're on a challenging mode). Really, it just feels like you're playing a very rushed, cheap, glitchy movie cash-in. I'm glad I rented it before deciding to buy it.… Expand
  31. Stratn
    Feb 13, 2013
    2
    Gearbox pulled the old bait and switch!!!! Game shown was not the game sold....not the first time gearbox has done this http://www.videogamer.com/videos/aliens_colonial_marines_what_the_hell_happened_to_aliens_colonial_marines_2.html
  32. Caged_Sephiroth
    Feb 17, 2013
    0
    Listen to me: DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. IT IS NOT WORTH YOUR MONEY. Those giving it anything more than a 5 clearly don't know a bad game when they see one. Yes, graphics aren't important, granted you've got a solid story and gameplay to back it up old PS1/Nintendo RPG's are good examples of when graphical content isn't a big deal. However, this is nothing more than a run and gun FPS with aListen to me: DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. IT IS NOT WORTH YOUR MONEY. Those giving it anything more than a 5 clearly don't know a bad game when they see one. Yes, graphics aren't important, granted you've got a solid story and gameplay to back it up old PS1/Nintendo RPG's are good examples of when graphical content isn't a big deal. However, this is nothing more than a run and gun FPS with a few aliens in it for fans of the movie franchise. Decent graphics might have actually helped immerse players in the horror setting, but unfortunately the horrible textures did anything but. It feels too much like an old doom game, not really something that should be released in the year 2013. It's a horrible game that I'll be trading in tomorrow morning.… Expand
  33. RogerWilco2099
    Feb 14, 2013
    2
    Arrived in the post yesterday, I heard some bad reviews but as a fan I thought this was exaggeration. Well I wish I never opened it and got a refund. The campaign is 5 hours long with an AI that terrible for both your squad and the enemy. I should be saying Aliens rather then enemy, but half the game you arnt fighting aliens!!! Thats right, an aliens game and you spend half of itArrived in the post yesterday, I heard some bad reviews but as a fan I thought this was exaggeration. Well I wish I never opened it and got a refund. The campaign is 5 hours long with an AI that terrible for both your squad and the enemy. I should be saying Aliens rather then enemy, but half the game you arnt fighting aliens!!! Thats right, an aliens game and you spend half of it fighting other marines on the Corporation. The end boss as well... just over one minute to beat... the games just painful. I want to give it a good review, I pre-ordered this on nostalgia and the fact that this looked like it was the aliens game that would be it! Multiplayer is the only thing that can make this game fun and it wears thin fast. The marines are very overpowered and while you can take out lone wolves, if they stick in a group and are organized playing as an alien is just not fun. Other players give up quick and it makes it impossible. Basically if you stay in a group then its an instant win. High hopes. Crushed by technical problems (screen tear), poor AI, poor graphics with missing textures and retcons. Dont get me started on who they bring back from the dead! Oh and those awesome early previews which got everyone excited, guess what not in the game!! Poor poor show. I pray the DLC can partially redeem this game especailly as its supposed to be cannon!… Expand
  34. checkthisout
    Feb 14, 2013
    0
    One thing I have say,"What The Hell". If you watched the demo were the hell is that part of the level on the demo know were. The game looked badass for the demo holding off enemy waves with other marines. Like on the first part of the demp you seen all blood and gore in the tunnel that connects the Suphora and Sulaco. Come on guys the demo was better than than the original game. O andOne thing I have say,"What The Hell". If you watched the demo were the hell is that part of the level on the demo know were. The game looked badass for the demo holding off enemy waves with other marines. Like on the first part of the demp you seen all blood and gore in the tunnel that connects the Suphora and Sulaco. Come on guys the demo was better than than the original game. O and correct me if I'm wrong this company didn't explain Sh*t. Like in my last review where the hell does Hicks come from he dies. In Alien 3 it clearly says that Hicks and Nute die. The one character that actually looked the same from the movie is Bishop. So If your thinking of buying this game don't, instead buy Aliens Vs Predator a lot better. This game sucked and especially the shotgun's shooting the humans they never mind I don't want to upset Sh*ty Gearbox one descent game I loved they made was Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway. You suck Sega go back making Sonic Games!!!!!!!!… Expand
  35. Useful1d1ot
    Feb 27, 2013
    4
    For apparent "fans" of the franchise, they really did drop the ball with this big heap of crap. leaving graphics alone and moving to mechanics it's terrible.. ai is awful gameplay feels sluggish and you don't at any point in time, feel like you're in the aliens universe..
  36. Gargus
    Mar 7, 2013
    0
    I won't waste time retreading the same ground everyone else and point out one simple fact, it's made by Gearbox.

    Gearbox is and always has been a mediocre game developer. Their big claim to fame is borderlands which is essentially if you put world of warcrafts boring quest system into a wasteland, put it in first person mode, then tout how it has millions of guns but the fact is 1 out    I won't waste time retreading the same ground everyone else and point out one simple fact, it's made by Gearbox.

    Gearbox is and always has been a mediocre game developer. Their big claim to fame is borderlands which is essentially if you put world of warcrafts boring quest system into a wasteland, put it in first person mode, then tout how it has millions of guns but the fact is 1 out of 10,000 are actually an upgrade (repainting the same crummy pistol 5,000 times doesn't make 5,000 different guns) and finally start pimping DLC for the game before it even releases and then keep releasing more to nickel and dime your customers to death by turning a 60 dollar turd into a 100 dollar turd. They also made duke nukem forever which as we all know is a giant steaming pile of you know what and is a god awful abortion from start to finish. The best games they actually made were the brothers in arms games which aren't as terrible as those other two games but its still incredibly sterile, generic and uninspired. BIA is your basic mediocre WW2 shooter and nothing else. They have a few other games under their belt but they are all titles no one really cares about and faded into obscurity as soon as they were released. Bottom line is Gearbox is a terrible game maker and this is a terrible game.

    Now for a quickie about colonial marines.

    The story is nothing short of fan fiction written by someone who cannot write but still posts to their blog and believes themselves to be a great writer. It's kind of like how a young girl will take pictures of furniture sitting in a shadow in black and white and then think they are really deep and brooding for taking such artistic photographs when in fact it's just garbage. They tried to wink at the fans so hard their eyes have fallen out because of it. Everything about it feels very amateur, boring and forced. It feels more like they did a sci-fi channel original aliens movie, or something that went direct to video.

    The game is buggy as you can get. I've flown out the side of things and floated high in the air stuck. I've had allies that would stick in walls. Hell I found out in section you were supposed to be stealthy starting out and I just ran past every alien and once I passed them they forgot about me and I finished a level without firing a shot. I see environmental objects get stuck in things and so on.

    All the pretty and cool looking screenshots and videos I've been seeing for over a year from now weren't from the same game they released. You can easily find comparison videos showing the game released looks just awful compared to the "in game footage" they showed in the past.

    Multiplayer is very sterile and pretty much what you'd expect. It's so boring in fact that multiplayer will be a ghost town in 2 months.

    The game play its pretty much call of duty. It's just a mix of "it's the last stand....again" and "quick run through fast as you can" with some boring corridor stalking in between.

    I could go into great depth, I could go on and on naming other things I didn't like but you can read other Amazon reviews and see exactly what I've got to say.

    So really if you must play this, wait till its 10 dollars. Trust me it won't take very long before it gets there. And next time, don't pay full price for a Gearbox title.    … Expand
  37. RipperCaine
    Feb 20, 2013
    3
    This game reminds me a lot of Operation Racoon City. The verybad news is Operation Racoon City is a better game. ACm doesn't even make me want to try to finish it. ORC at least did that. Gearbox blew it big time here.
  38. chapsthundrstik
    Feb 21, 2013
    2
    Poor gameplay. Last gen graphics this gen! Terrible, terrible AI in both the NPC's and the Xenomorphs! For an Aliens game, you spend more time fighting humans with guns??????????? No dedicated servers so no over watch. Terrible match making. Just a terrible disappointment. the E3 demo looked amazing. this game looks god aweful.
  39. djamestc
    Feb 23, 2013
    4
    It's not that Aliens:CM is absolutely terrible.... It's that it was a colossal disappointment. So much hype for a game that looks unpolished and at times unfinished. It is full of bugs, and I don't mean xenomorphs. Very disappointing that gearbox and sega would release a game in the condition of this one.
  40. IceySnowPaw
    Feb 24, 2013
    2
    I was expecting this game for many years so it comes up with such a great disappointment. The kills don't look realistic, there are motion glitches on the aliens, repetitive game play, terrible multiplayer system. The thing i enjoyed was a big alien startling me and being cautious at the sewers, of course reviving the places of the movie; but after that, its predecessor aliens vs predator,I was expecting this game for many years so it comes up with such a great disappointment. The kills don't look realistic, there are motion glitches on the aliens, repetitive game play, terrible multiplayer system. The thing i enjoyed was a big alien startling me and being cautious at the sewers, of course reviving the places of the movie; but after that, its predecessor aliens vs predator, its way much better than this huge mistake that will sink the aliens franchise.… Expand
  41. urosdj
    Feb 28, 2013
    3
    this game is a horrible excuse for a game this franchise is falling apart boring game play and just well not so interesting at all(my opinion)you don't even need to play the game to understand its a horrible game you can just watch game plays and you can still see this game is not what fans were expecting AT ALL
  42. Sorkan
    Apr 26, 2013
    0
    I have no words to explain why Sega and Gearbox released this alpha version of the game. Horrible in all aspects of the game, except music. The worst game I ever played in 30 years.
  43. tomthumb
    Feb 12, 2013
    2
    If you a fan of the aliens series, like me then leave this well alone. its absolutely no improvement to AVP game in fact its much worse, the engine is pants and generally is just awful. this was a made by people to make money quick, not as a product for people to enjoy. everyone involved has absolutely no shame.
  44. stanleynbloom
    Feb 12, 2013
    1
    Nothing short of Call of Duty: Aliens. -Terrible AI
    -NPCS are unaware of whats happening
    -No scares, no frightening moments that you would expect from this game -HOLD DOWN TRIGGER TO KILL MINDLESS ENEMIES -Lazy Level Design, only 5hours. I repeat 5hours. -Lazy writing -BS ending -2 maps in multiplayer. enough said. This is another case of a developer trying to F*ck gamers and    Nothing short of Call of Duty: Aliens. -Terrible AI
    -NPCS are unaware of whats happening
    -No scares, no frightening moments that you would expect from this game
    -HOLD DOWN TRIGGER TO KILL MINDLESS ENEMIES
    -Lazy Level Design, only 5hours. I repeat 5hours.
    -Lazy writing
    -BS ending
    -2 maps in multiplayer. enough said. This is another case of a developer trying to F*ck gamers and fanboys of a well beloved franchise, putting in little effort and hoping to cash in on poor helpless fans. a 5 hour campaign is disgraceful for a 60.00 pricepoint. What's even more insulting is the 29.99 "season pass"
    Thanks for giving us a completely barren multiplayer experience and expect us to hand over the dough. I don't think so. F*ck you gearbox.THIS GAME IS GARBAGE AND DESERVES A 2/10    … Expand
  45. SimpleMethod
    Feb 13, 2013
    4
    Aliens: Colonial Marines is a colossal disappointment. But I shouldn't of expected more seeing as how it is an outsourced game from the always reliable(NO) Gearbox Software, with only one game that is decent, borderlands. Anyway, they up with Duke Nukem, and they up just as bad and sadly, possibly worse with Aliens. Jesus, why can't there be a decent Alien franchise game? Would it beAliens: Colonial Marines is a colossal disappointment. But I shouldn't of expected more seeing as how it is an outsourced game from the always reliable(NO) Gearbox Software, with only one game that is decent, borderlands. Anyway, they up with Duke Nukem, and they up just as bad and sadly, possibly worse with Aliens. Jesus, why can't there be a decent Alien franchise game? Would it be that hard to put some effort into a game and not use last generation graphics? or perhaps at least ATTEMPT to immerse us in the Aliens world? well, hopefully this is the last batch of from Gearbox for a while.… Expand
  46. BasicSpace
    Feb 16, 2013
    2
    I think its worth a rent, just to have a few laughs at how bad it is. Then after the laughs fade to boredom, you can simply return it. This is a game that should never have seen the light of day; literally, there is no reason for this game to exist. If they released it as an Arcade game, for under $15, I would be willing to give it a 5/10, but as a full priced game, Gearbox is laughing inI think its worth a rent, just to have a few laughs at how bad it is. Then after the laughs fade to boredom, you can simply return it. This is a game that should never have seen the light of day; literally, there is no reason for this game to exist. If they released it as an Arcade game, for under $15, I would be willing to give it a 5/10, but as a full priced game, Gearbox is laughing in your face.… Expand
  47. HorsemanUK
    Feb 19, 2013
    1
    This game feels like it was made five years ago, and in game development timelines that is an eternity. The animation of the characters is stilted and jerky. I actually couldn't believe my eyes when the main character is cutting down someone attached to the wall and the 'sparks' are just round circles. What?! I hope that's some strange effect of having a DX10 graphics card becauseThis game feels like it was made five years ago, and in game development timelines that is an eternity. The animation of the characters is stilted and jerky. I actually couldn't believe my eyes when the main character is cutting down someone attached to the wall and the 'sparks' are just round circles. What?! I hope that's some strange effect of having a DX10 graphics card because otherwise that's just embarrassing. I lost interest in this game very quickly indeed. The aliens rush at you either faster than you can see or they creep like they're lethargic, presumably so you can actually get a shot at them before having to batter 'e' or 'v' to try and fight them off. All in all, a very poor game.… Expand
  48. TheAmayan
    Feb 14, 2013
    4
    Aliens: Colonial Marines is a poor attempt to satisfy any fan looking to get more out of the franchise. The singleplayer, which may be the most anticipated portion of the game, is laughable. Terrible AI and ugly textures completely throw you out of the experience immediately. The story doesn't do anything to pull you in. The voice acting is good but none of the characters are memorable, IAliens: Colonial Marines is a poor attempt to satisfy any fan looking to get more out of the franchise. The singleplayer, which may be the most anticipated portion of the game, is laughable. Terrible AI and ugly textures completely throw you out of the experience immediately. The story doesn't do anything to pull you in. The voice acting is good but none of the characters are memorable, I didn't care for anybody in this game. Gameplay is very basic, you point and shoot at aliens jump at you and human enemies who are dumb heck. The game does have a good stealth part where you lose your weapons (for some dumb reason), and you travel through a sewer crawling with enemies. I really enjoyed that part of the game and the multiplayer can be fun for a couple of hours. But those few things aren't enough to put down $60, its a rental at best. You're probably going to see people who say the game is awesome and that reviewers don't know what they're talking about, but I read and watched their reviews and everything they have to say is spot on! If anybody tells you that Aliens Colonial Marines is awesome, they either have low standards for video games or they're in denial.… Expand
  49. Nefertem
    Feb 15, 2013
    2
    The first thing you will notice about this game is the amazingly awful graphics, which instantly will take you out of the atmosphere that maybe the main menu provided. Yep, the main menu is probably the only thing even remotely close to atmospheric in this game. If it weren't for the fact that you are actually shooting at aliens from the "Alien"-universe, you probably wouldn't know thatThe first thing you will notice about this game is the amazingly awful graphics, which instantly will take you out of the atmosphere that maybe the main menu provided. Yep, the main menu is probably the only thing even remotely close to atmospheric in this game. If it weren't for the fact that you are actually shooting at aliens from the "Alien"-universe, you probably wouldn't know that this game was inspired by that aforementioned movie series, "inspired" being the keyword. If you love the Alien-universe you would do best to stay away from this game, and don't hold your breath for any future Alien game (that's actually enjoyable to play), it'l only be downhill from here on out folks.… Expand
  50. DavidWarden
    Dec 23, 2014
    0
    I don't like this game 0/10 .
  51. Tjackson31692
    Feb 25, 2013
    0
    I wasted $60 of my hard earn money and 30 mins of my life.I was expecting this game for many years so it comes up with such a great disappointment. The kills don't look realistic, there are motion glitches on the aliens, repetitive game play, terrible multiplayer system. The thing i enjoyed was a big alien startling me and being cautious at the sewers, of course reviving the places of theI wasted $60 of my hard earn money and 30 mins of my life.I was expecting this game for many years so it comes up with such a great disappointment. The kills don't look realistic, there are motion glitches on the aliens, repetitive game play, terrible multiplayer system. The thing i enjoyed was a big alien startling me and being cautious at the sewers, of course reviving the places of the movie; but after that, its predecessor aliens vs predator, its way much better than this huge mistake that will sink the aliens franchise… Expand
  52. DarrkHawk
    Apr 10, 2013
    3
    When game developers get pushed into making a public apology for a "misleading" trailer, This pretty much marks the scene for a game. Yes, I got hold of Alien: Colonial Marines a good period of time after release and after this announcement. Immediately I could see what the big uproar was about. First thing that is thrown in front of you with any game is the graphics, which feel like itWhen game developers get pushed into making a public apology for a "misleading" trailer, This pretty much marks the scene for a game. Yes, I got hold of Alien: Colonial Marines a good period of time after release and after this announcement. Immediately I could see what the big uproar was about. First thing that is thrown in front of you with any game is the graphics, which feel like it has been thrown together from the 64 bit era. The trailer of this game showed amazing graphics, amazing game play and intense scenes. With the graphics been first the rule out that the trailer showed, what would be next? Well, to be honest, I failed to find one aspect of this game that made it "good". Controls are sluggish, hit detection is just pure awful, voice acting is laughable, story is bland and just the general play of the game is, well, almost unplayable. The AI are some of the worst I've seen in a game and the enemies are so unpredictable and mostly, unavoidable which makes the overall game play extremely frustrating and boring. I understand that this game also has an online multiplayer feature but I didn't couldn't try it due to lack of interest in the game as a whole and the fact the one time I tried to play an MP game, after half an hour it didn't find me a game. Overall, this game is a failed struggle to save a dying franchise.… Expand
  53. GameInterpreter
    Jun 17, 2013
    3
    Not much to say besides this game suffers from terrible characters and falsely advertised content from the original E3 demo that showed much higher detail, but the final product was poorly created and suffered from idiotic artificial intelligence, yet somehow still managed to entertain me at some points.

    3 out of 10
  54. legoman775
    Aug 24, 2013
    0
    let me get one thing straight if you are an Aliens fan you will like this game if you are a person who likes a GOOD game you will hate this game

    so i heard from my friends this game was good so i bought it on Xbox Live Marketplace 40 $40 WORST MISTAKE EVER!!! (DO NOT BUY THIS GAME) so the singleplayer sucked the AI was so lazy that my "marines" were standing there watching me die not    let me get one thing straight if you are an Aliens fan you will like this game if you are a person who likes a GOOD game you will hate this game

    so i heard from my friends this game was good so i bought it on Xbox Live Marketplace 40 $40 WORST MISTAKE EVER!!! (DO NOT BUY THIS GAME)

    so the singleplayer sucked the AI was so lazy that my "marines" were standing there watching me die not even shooting at all the Aliens don't act like Aliens at all they just walk up to you and hit you in the face once then stand there for 5 minutes then hit you again this game was so rushed with half of the textures missing. like i went up to a console and it looked like a 2D 16Bit texture piece of (yes i know this is Xbox but that is just stupid) the gun sounds are ok but the big issues are the graphics and horrible AI pathing it looks like a 2 year old made this game.

    anyways now to the multiplayer
    MARINES ARE SO OP IN MULTIPLAYER i could not kill them as an alien i literaly ran into their face and hit them 20 times and then died and they didn't take like any damage at all because they have armor which aparently is made out of Adamantium or something it is so bad controlling a Alien so slow and half the time you get stuck on a wall and die severs are horrible and lack of gametypes and gameplay makes this game REALLY HORRIBLE

    now what i would rate this game a ZERO A BIG FAT ZERO
    DO NOT BUY THIS GAME AND DO NOT BUY THE DLC UNLESS IT'S FREE
    Sega never ever let Gearbox make another Aliens game ever again please let Rebelion make another game because Aliens vs Predator is 20 times better than this piece of and for all of those people out there that give this game a 1 or above actually pley the game without useing modds people make to make the game look better on pc because this is just a discrace    … Expand
  55. flametail23
    Oct 23, 2014
    2
    DON'T PLAY THIS GAME, IT IS ONE OF THE WORST GAMES I HAVE EVER PLAYED, GRAPHICS= **** AI= **** STORY=****. THERE IS NOTHING GOOD ABOUT THIS GAME. THE ONLY OK THING I CAN SAY ABOUT IT IS THAT I DIDN'T HATE THE FIRST MISSION.
    2/10
  56. JPK
    Jul 8, 2019
    3
    What A Mess
    Colonial Marines is a broken, glitchy, poorly rendered mess that does not need your money.
  57. zyryx
    Jun 16, 2013
    2
    This game promised so much, and then completely fell on it's face. The graphics are very good, but nothing like was promised by the "demo" videos show prior to release. In game they were par for FPS, and it seem great detail was paid to recreate the atmosphere and tension of the movies. The first levels on the Sulaco weren't too bad story wise, but the game was already showing it'sThis game promised so much, and then completely fell on it's face. The graphics are very good, but nothing like was promised by the "demo" videos show prior to release. In game they were par for FPS, and it seem great detail was paid to recreate the atmosphere and tension of the movies. The first levels on the Sulaco weren't too bad story wise, but the game was already showing it's weaknesses. The NPC AI is broken beyond repair, and the Alien AI is nonexistent. Duck Hunt was more challenging. By the end of the Sulaco levels, the story was quickly devolving into idiocy. The story makes no sense what so ever and is a slap in the face to fans of the movies. And my biggest complaint is the lack of immersion. They went to all of the trouble to model the dropship and the APC, yet they are only set dressing. The only time the player gets to ride in these vehicles is in cut scenes, never mind flying/driving them. It is because of this game that I will never buy another title from GearBox for full price, and will share their future games used with all of my friends. Shame on them for stealing from consumers, as this game is a complete ripoff.… Expand
  58. usrevenge
    Mar 22, 2013
    2
    don't know how they could screw up any more than they did.

    terrible AI, terrible graphics, mediocre multiplayer, mediocre story, and they have the nerve to sell DLC.
    gearbox shouldn't be allowed to make games.
  59. Oxcart
    Mar 3, 2013
    4
    A game that looked so good at its E3 demos, that was so heavily anticipated, and, let's face it, that is rooted so well in a legendary piece of sci-fi almost couldn't fail. And yet, somehow, Gearbox managed to pull off a total misfire with Colonial Marines. While it'd be easy to turn this entire review into a complaint festival, there are some admirable things about the game, so we'llA game that looked so good at its E3 demos, that was so heavily anticipated, and, let's face it, that is rooted so well in a legendary piece of sci-fi almost couldn't fail. And yet, somehow, Gearbox managed to pull off a total misfire with Colonial Marines. While it'd be easy to turn this entire review into a complaint festival, there are some admirable things about the game, so we'll start with those. It's clear that someone paid attention to the tech manual when they put the weapons and equipment together; it's consistent with the Colonial Marines Technical Manual released years ago with the blessing of those involved. Sound in all its aspects, foley and mixing alike, is a grand slam home run. The score is absolutely outstanding, something that should make Horner proud in how his film score was lovingly adapted to a game score. The levels that overlap the films are consistent and show continuity with events in the film. The weapons are generally faithful to the films, with the Smartgun particularly well implemented. The weapon modification/customization system is thin, but adequate and makes a difference. There are enough little toss-ins to make you feel like you're in the film. That is, until you add in gameplay, graphics, and programming. Then it's wrecked. For a game that was supposed to be a squad-based tactical shooter, A:CM is instead a generic rail shooter dressed up in Aliens clothes. There's no tactical anything in here; your allies are under AI control at all times, and won't even take a suggestion from you (not that there's a way for you to suggest squat). Graphics are horribly disappointing...more like abysmal. This is a console that handles high-power graphics Crysis 2, Crysis 3, Far Cry 3, and Enslaved so there's no excuse. Textures are unbelievably low-res; monitors are unreadable, props are blurry and pixelated. Lighting is good, but implementation of volumetrics appears to have been left off the to-do list. Voice acting is good, but the script, by and large, is the pits, chock full of macho-military cliches and stereotypes. The checkpoint save system was developed by a sadist; there are no checkpoints immediately prior to boss fights and checkpoints are spread far apart, meaning you will have to redo significant sections (and hear the same bloody audio) again and again. The AI is outright defective; it's a good thing that your squadmates are immortal, because an alien will be chewing on their helmets and they won't open fire. Expect no help from them. Overall, Aliens: Colonial Marines is valuable only to those who are diehard fans of the film. As a game, a 4 is a generous rating, earned more or less entirely by the audio department and a pity point. This game fell so far short of expectations and promise that it's just sad. It is worth playing if you're a fan, but not worth the $60 release price. Wait until it descends to the $20 range (which shouldn't take long), then go for it. I'm not mad about the game, just disappointed. It could have, should have, been much more.… Expand
  60. Fatspud
    Apr 4, 2013
    2
    What's wrong with this game:
    1- Ridiculous story line that messes up the film story and makes no sense, and offers no explanation, with a terrible cut and dry ending. It's cannon by the way. 2- Terrible alien AI that is not scary, but ridiculous, with hilarious glitches. 3- Glitchy graphics with muddy textures, esp. on consoles 4- Fighting humans for at least 50% of the game!? its called    What's wrong with this game:
    1- Ridiculous story line that messes up the film story and makes no sense, and offers no explanation, with a terrible cut and dry ending. It's cannon by the way. 2- Terrible alien AI that is not scary, but ridiculous, with hilarious glitches. 3- Glitchy graphics with muddy textures, esp. on consoles 4- Fighting humans for at least 50% of the game!? its called ALIENS! 5- Friendly AI characters: O'Neil, you are a useless and fundamentally unlikable. 6- The E3 2011 demo was the biggest lie in gaming    … Expand
  61. Coletrain128
    Mar 20, 2013
    2
    Stay away from Aliens even if you are a fan of the franchise. I made the mistake thinking it'd be fun but the game is terrible. The campaign is just 5 hrs of mindless shooting, cutscenes look like they were made on last gen consoles, your AI team mates never shut the hell up and are uninteresting and the ending was awful. Co-op makes the experience even worse as you are constantly shovingStay away from Aliens even if you are a fan of the franchise. I made the mistake thinking it'd be fun but the game is terrible. The campaign is just 5 hrs of mindless shooting, cutscenes look like they were made on last gen consoles, your AI team mates never shut the hell up and are uninteresting and the ending was awful. Co-op makes the experience even worse as you are constantly shoving your friends into walls because nearly 75% of the game will take place in incredibly tight corridors. Multiplayer is also a bummer as playing as the xenomorphs is clunky and awful and the online community will probably be dead in a couple of months or less. What you see in the trailers and vidocs is not what is in the game. It is a lie as the game was outsourced to developer TimeGate and Gearbox only worked on portions of the multiplayer. This is arguably one of the worst games I have ever played and no one should suffer through this excuse of a game. Save your $60 or just play the AVP videogame that came out a couple years ago. Yes, even that game is better the Colonial Marines… Expand
  62. psbox362
    Apr 6, 2013
    4
    For the past 6-7 years, I've been waiting for this game to come out since it was first announced. I was amazed by the gameplay demo from E3. It looked genuinely terrifying. Marines were getting picked off from the shadows by lurking xenomorphs, the lighting was dark and atmospheric, you got to wield iconic weapons and equipment to fight off the monstrosities. The whole thing lookedFor the past 6-7 years, I've been waiting for this game to come out since it was first announced. I was amazed by the gameplay demo from E3. It looked genuinely terrifying. Marines were getting picked off from the shadows by lurking xenomorphs, the lighting was dark and atmospheric, you got to wield iconic weapons and equipment to fight off the monstrosities. The whole thing looked amazing.

    But then the game came out and I got the biggest kick in the nuts from any game I have ever played in my life. The final product is in no way similar to that magnificent demo we saw. In fact, it was much worse and practically unfinished. The textures are horribly outdated by at least 6 years. The adaptive lighting we saw was nowhere near as impressive as the demos. Even the AI suffered horribly. Xenomorphs mindlessly Zerg rush you rather than sneak around in the shadows, and your AI controlled teammates are practically useless. There's no real details on what happened, but the fact remains that Gearbox has somehow managed to rush a game that has been in development for over 6 years.

    To say that this game is buggy is an understatement. I've been left wondering if anyone has even playtested this prior to release. Probably the most damning of problems with this game is how easy it is to lose your progress in this game. Rather than creating a save file onto the hard drive like ever other game on the 360, ACM instead saves directly to your cache. This means that whenever you start the game without signing in to your gamertag, you lose everything. Campaign progress, multiplayer ranks and unlocks, everything, gone. You'd think it could be avoided by simply turning off auto-run and being careful to sign in before playing, but you'd be wrong. Mandatory updates for the game automatically sign you out before installation and are effectively a death sentence for your saves.

    I seriously hate calling anything a "COD clone", but what else can I say? Guns have attachments and different skins and half of the game is spent on fighting Weyland Yutani mercenaries. That's right, you fight other humans in an Aliens game. Sure, I expected Wey-Yu to make an appearance in the story at some point, but these guys show up on the second level and utterly destroy any sense of fear that the xenos built up in the introductory level. There's hardly any tension in the game as you carry all of your weapons on your back. So, whenever one gun is low on ammo, you just switch it out for another until you find more ammo for it.

    You'd think that since the game's story was approved by Fox as being the canonical sequel to Aliens and Alien 3, that the writers would go all out to make sure the story was amazing, right? Sadly that's not the case. Indeed, most of the game's plot seems like an excuse to just revisit locations from the movies. ACM hardly answers any questions from the movies, nor does it add anything exciting. They had even brought back a supposedly dead character from Aliens and handwaved the details of his survival with him literally saying, "That's a story for another time". If that's not a copout in story writing then I don't know what is. Even the characters aren't that interesting. They could be amusing at times due to their banter, but there's not much for the player to get attached to.

    The multiplayer is probably the only thing that's genuinely worthwhile with this game. Playing with your friends in versus mode is great fun. While playing as Marines, you organize together a survival strategy, and as Xenos, you work together to harass and hunt down the marines. It kind of like running a haunted house and feels familiar with playing as an special infected in Left 4 Dead. Fun aside, the multiplayer also suffers from it's share of problems. Just like the campaign, bugs are prevalent and quite common. Also, lag is a major factor that can severely break the balance of the game and make it almost impossible to play properly.

    All in all, I'd say rent the game if you are still interested in playing it. But if you insist on buying, please wait for the price to drop and more patches to be released. Because at this point in time, this game needs a lot more work to be worth considering spending money on. From what I'm seeing Gearbox is still working on more patches to clear up the bugs. They have already tweaked the AI, but probably won't do much to improve the graphics on the 360. If I notice any fixes worthy of changing my score, I'll edit as I deem appropriate. But for now, my score stands as is.    … Expand
  63. mose14
    Mar 18, 2013
    2
    I had high hopes for Aliens: Colonial Marines, but like most people who played this game, I am deeply disappointed. The story is so bare bones it does not even matter if it is cannon or not. The graphics have a numerous amount of problems like screen tearing, slow down, and low resolution textures. I also experience a lot of glitches will playing, sometimes it would shut the whole gameI had high hopes for Aliens: Colonial Marines, but like most people who played this game, I am deeply disappointed. The story is so bare bones it does not even matter if it is cannon or not. The graphics have a numerous amount of problems like screen tearing, slow down, and low resolution textures. I also experience a lot of glitches will playing, sometimes it would shut the whole game down. The fellow marines that are controlled by the AI are terrible and tend to get in the way a lot. The enemy AI is not any better. Xenomorphs do not act like their counterpart in the films, running right in front of you waiting to be shot. The 3 boss fights are also a walk in the park, giving the player no challenge. The gunplay is alright, the weapons blend well into the universe, and the shooting is not half bad. The co-op campaign is useless as another player is unnecessary and does not add to the experience. The multiplayer has one good mode that is worth playing. The Escape mode is similar to Left 4 Dead but with enemy controlled aliens. The other multiplayer modes feel unbalanced and there is only 4 maps for each mode. Aliens: Colonial Marines might have a few easter eggs for die hard Aliens fans, but besides that I would avoid this game, especially if you are a fan of the franchise.… Expand
  64. Markes01
    Mar 28, 2018
    1
    never mind this game its terrible. Expect about 1 day worth of poor gameplay with replay value.
  65. Xboxreviews
    Mar 26, 2013
    3
    Whats bad about this game? what's good about this game? That's the easier question.
    Bad graphics, dumb story, REPETITIVE GAMEPLAY, and HUMAN ENEMIES in this new creation from gearbox. I hate this game. I really do. Not because of the bad qualities, although that's a good reason, BECAUSE IT'S ALIENS AND I FEEL LIKE ITS JUST A TERRIBLE KNOCKOFF OF COD. Now i can tell what you what happened    Whats bad about this game? what's good about this game? That's the easier question.
    Bad graphics, dumb story, REPETITIVE GAMEPLAY, and HUMAN ENEMIES in this new creation from gearbox. I hate this game. I really do. Not because of the bad qualities, although that's a good reason, BECAUSE IT'S ALIENS AND I FEEL LIKE ITS JUST A TERRIBLE KNOCKOFF OF COD. Now i can tell what you what happened to that awesome demo in 2012, whatever it is, it's aliens colonial marines. This.... Game isn't. This is a shooter that doesn't hold up to its competition in the slightest. This is quite possibly, the worst game I have ever played. I know that there are worse games. But I haven't played them. Here's a challenge, play on ultimate badass mode, alone, with no one else even in the room to talk to, and TRY to have fun. This game makes me sad, gearbox has fallen. They have sealed their reputation not only as liars and cheats,but they have destroyed their reputation by making a false demo, making false promises, and using the hype machine to boost sales. DON'T WASTE YOU'RE MONEY ON THIS. If you really want a good aliens game, try the avp game that came out in 2010. But this game isn't worth a triple a price if it isn't a triple a game.    … Expand
  66. Awesomo3000
    Mar 13, 2013
    4
    I think this is a great game but I put in the disc before signing in to my profile and once I was at main menu it reset my profile on the game.I am very disappointed about this I was a high lvl and I finishe the campaign once they fix this I will play again my gamer tag is: Anthony Ferris I was lvl 17 for aliens and lvl 34 for marines please fix this and my profile if fixed let me know
  67. an_smj
    Mar 16, 2013
    2
    It's phenomenal, if you're the type of loony who licks windows for a living. More than angry, the game just makes me sad. It could, should and probably would have been good if it had been released a few years ago; unbroken. I was going to round this off with something positive to say about the game, but there's just nothing. Sorry.
  68. gamingmad
    Apr 27, 2013
    1
    This game was horrible the gameplay, the graphics of the lights where so bright, the story was bad couldnt finish it, poorly designed weapons that dont even kill anything that well and really buggy
  69. MrFluffy63
    Mar 22, 2013
    2
    This game is a fail, no matter what anyone says. The graphics cant run right on my Xbox, and start to look pretty junky after the first hour. Enemy and partner A.I are horrible, and O'neal did not kill one alien my whole play through. Multiplayer is glitchy and the marines are very overpowered against their alien enemies. There is no survival, which is a shame. And included to all of that,This game is a fail, no matter what anyone says. The graphics cant run right on my Xbox, and start to look pretty junky after the first hour. Enemy and partner A.I are horrible, and O'neal did not kill one alien my whole play through. Multiplayer is glitchy and the marines are very overpowered against their alien enemies. There is no survival, which is a shame. And included to all of that, the game is just plain ol' unfinished. Literally, my gun disappeared at moments, O'neal walked through walls, and the power loader sequences are literally UNPLAYABLE. Even the lore is horrible. It does continue off of the movie ALIENS, but ignores Alien 3 and 4. By now, I've had it with this game. The reason I have not given it a 0 was because of the easter eggs, but thats it. Game over, man.… Expand
  70. NightbringerAT
    Apr 24, 2013
    1
    I am really a hardcore fan of the Alien-Universe, even Cosplaying a USCM. Reading all the comic from Aliens vs Predator. And i loved the older A vs P games.

    I waited deperately for this game. Had it on Pre-order based on the first trailers. But i never got that disappointed in my life from a game. The story is nearly non existent, the game mechanics dont need tweaking they need to    I am really a hardcore fan of the Alien-Universe, even Cosplaying a USCM. Reading all the comic from Aliens vs Predator. And i loved the older A vs P games.

    I waited deperately for this game. Had it on Pre-order based on the first trailers.

    But i never got that disappointed in my life from a game.
    The story is nearly non existent, the game mechanics dont need tweaking they need to be exchanged.
    The graphics are way out of date, (strangely the first gameplay trailer showed differently)
    And its no tension. The Aliens are the utmost stupid creatures i could ever encounter in a game.

    And wtf with the fighting against Humans all the time?
    This is "Call of Duty: Alien Front", nothing more.

    This game is the JJ Abrams of Videogames, And no i dont mean that in a good way. It destroyed everything the Alien franchise stood up for.
    NO Horror or Survival, NO tension. NO shocking moments. Just shoot and run down the next corridor.

    I will better re-install the PC version of A vs.P 1 instead of playing this game one minute longer.    … Expand
  71. MGTE
    May 4, 2013
    4
    WHY?? WHY!??? i am a huge fan of the original Aliens movie and i was expecting so much from from Gearbox, where is the emersive story that we have been promised?? and the why we are fighting humans for the most of the time?? in the aliens game??? and the worst thing is that apparently there is one guy from the original crew who is still alive, i swear after that you will be like...WHY?? WHY!??? i am a huge fan of the original Aliens movie and i was expecting so much from from Gearbox, where is the emersive story that we have been promised?? and the why we are fighting humans for the most of the time?? in the aliens game??? and the worst thing is that apparently there is one guy from the original crew who is still alive, i swear after that you will be like... WhAAAAT. As for the story, it's just bad and the graphics are really bad even on the PC and the game is so easy, if you want to play this game i really reccommend playing it on super soldier difficulty because on easiest difficuly you can just run, run and run and the enemies will just look at you and stare for ten minutes. This game also offers a broken AI and a Multiplayer but there is not really that much to say, nothing original here. Thankfully this game has drop in drop out co-op mode so you don't have to suffer by yourself. Co-Op is the only way to play this game, believe me.… Expand
  72. electriclight41
    Jun 3, 2013
    4
    Man, the most frustrating thing about this game is its potential. If they made the xenomorphs a threat instead of retarded T-Rex wannabes, it would have been better. If they had dialogue that wasn't written by a high schooler, it would have been better. If they made the atmosphere creepy at all, it would have been better. When played with a friend, it's fun to go through, as it's notMan, the most frustrating thing about this game is its potential. If they made the xenomorphs a threat instead of retarded T-Rex wannabes, it would have been better. If they had dialogue that wasn't written by a high schooler, it would have been better. If they made the atmosphere creepy at all, it would have been better. When played with a friend, it's fun to go through, as it's not completely broken and entertaining to make fun of certain elements. But overall, it seems like an unfinished game from a studio that didn't really care.… Expand
  73. Prozilla
    Jul 3, 2013
    1
    gave a 1 for at least trying..that is it. terrible, terrible, terrible game. everything glitches, I was attacked thru walls, enemies disappeared thru walls. terribly repetitive combat that made it painful to continue. terrible story. "allies" did nothing or would shoot at the ceiling, doors, floor, or just the air. some of the computer files you're suppost to find are not collectable.gave a 1 for at least trying..that is it. terrible, terrible, terrible game. everything glitches, I was attacked thru walls, enemies disappeared thru walls. terribly repetitive combat that made it painful to continue. terrible story. "allies" did nothing or would shoot at the ceiling, doors, floor, or just the air. some of the computer files you're suppost to find are not collectable. what I mean is it wouldn't let me pick them up. gun upgrades that make little to no difference. sadly stupid enemies that made me actually laugh but that was the only joy I received from this game. sooooo happy I only rented it considering I was going to preorder it. and for anyone that just says im a "hater" or I need to get a life all I have to say is I've been a gamer my whole life, I love games. I remember getting the aliens vs. predator vs. marines game for my original Xbox where you could create units and control them in a third person view. I loved that game when it first came out. you royally screwed up gearbox lost a customer for life. would never give 65 bucks to a company that laughs in my face.… Expand
  74. Eternal409
    Jul 29, 2013
    4
    I'm a huge 'Aliens' fan, watching all the films including the 'Aliens vs Predator' films.

    Expectations: I had quite big expectations going into this video game, due to the E3 2011 demo which was specifically designed to be solely used for that E3 demo. Scores: Graphics: 0/10 Campaign: 2/10 Sound: 8/10 Gameplay: 4/10 Multiplayer: 7/10 Final Score: 4.2/10 Final Verdict: I    I'm a huge 'Aliens' fan, watching all the films including the 'Aliens vs Predator' films.

    Expectations:
    I had quite big expectations going into this video game, due to the E3 2011 demo which was specifically designed to be solely used for that E3 demo.

    Scores:
    Graphics: 0/10
    Campaign: 2/10
    Sound: 8/10
    Gameplay: 4/10
    Multiplayer: 7/10
    Final Score: 4.2/10

    Final Verdict:
    I didn't realise there was any graphics in this game until I saw the textures which would have been good in 2002, the less said about the campaign the better (the ending is blatantly a set up for a sequel.) Inside this game the sound is the best part of this game simply because Gearbox actually used the same sounds for the xenomorphs and guns which were used in the movies. The ganeplay in this "game" is awful, the controls are laid-out terribly and they are highly unresponsive. The multiplayer is also another aspect dragging this title out of the dirt but the controls for the xenomorphs are wonky at best.    … Expand
  75. AverageGamerRev
    Oct 4, 2013
    4
    So I am a big fan of the series and the movies this game was 7 years in the making it really didn't come to par with some of the other games that came around that time. the graphics are lack luster and should have been better. the campaign was about 5 hours long, and remember this game took 7 years to develop. now the story wasn't all that bad but I will not spoil it for you but the finalSo I am a big fan of the series and the movies this game was 7 years in the making it really didn't come to par with some of the other games that came around that time. the graphics are lack luster and should have been better. the campaign was about 5 hours long, and remember this game took 7 years to develop. now the story wasn't all that bad but I will not spoil it for you but the final boss is to god dame easy. But I had fun with the game to playing with friends is the only way to go and the multiplayer just feels unfinished. now there are hidden guns that you can find threw out the game from the second movie "aliens" witch when you find them you can use them and so forth. now to really get in to the multiplayer you can customize your character any way you wont but not with full control you can pick a male or female customize the color of the armor and have 4 different emblems. with the aliens you choose between 4 different aliens with sertine skills and unlocks like changing the way they look. you can also customize you guns for the marines but that's really it. you get to go into a ship like the one in Prometheus witch is cool but that doesn't really help. this game flunked mostly because of the high expectations of it luckly I didn't run into any glitches my first time threw. its not a bad game but its not a so called good game. If your a fan of the series pick it up but if you not its not for you I give this game a 4/10.… Expand
  76. R3DSOXN4TION
    Sep 10, 2013
    4
    Rent it maybe only if your curious about multiplayer because thats the only thing that isn't painfully average or bad in this game. Do not buy, if you skip this game you won't miss anything.
  77. AGK
    Oct 8, 2013
    2
    this game is god awful. it destroys my mind on why my dad bought this piece of dog the a.i is weird and and the game play is just depressing. Don't buy this, save your money!
  78. Ragnarok3
    Nov 26, 2013
    4
    Not great but not total I must admit, I went in with extremely low expectations. It's worth a play if you're an Aliens fan. The sound effects and soundtrack capture the feel of the film and the environments were reminiscent of the film as well. The story was interesting enough. Other than that, not really much I can recommend. The AI is pretty horrible, the graphics are relatively bland,Not great but not total I must admit, I went in with extremely low expectations. It's worth a play if you're an Aliens fan. The sound effects and soundtrack capture the feel of the film and the environments were reminiscent of the film as well. The story was interesting enough. Other than that, not really much I can recommend. The AI is pretty horrible, the graphics are relatively bland, especially in cut-scenes, and multiplayer is...meh, if you can even find anyone playing the game and tolerate the lag. Oh, and I haven't even mentioned the numerous glitches/bugs. I don't understand how you can ruin a game that draws from such excellent source material. If you're an Aliens fan, give it a rent. Anyone else, only if you're a masochist.… Expand
  79. lordT
    Jun 10, 2014
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I just don't understand how in an "ALIENS!!!!" game you have to battle HUMANS!!!! in almost all of the levels.The story is pretty short 10 levels (3 alien,3 call of duty, 3 mixed bag levels+1 crappy boss battle).The boss battle is WTF levels (push a button that is it). The AI is one of the worst i have ever seen. Multiplayer is miserable and the graphics are "meh".So my opinion is no one should buy this game, hardcore alien fans will be disappointed, new comers will be disgusted, and multiplayer maniacs will not feel happy… Expand
  80. ThePotnoodleBoy
    Jun 21, 2014
    4
    This game wasn't all that bad. However, it was terribly over-hyped and failed to deliver everything shown in the trailers, with more bugs than xenomorphs. But there is still enjoyment in this game once you get past the bugs and the outdated graphics, because killing xenos with a pulse rifle never gets old. 4/10
  81. CaptainAssassin
    Jan 22, 2015
    4
    This is a fine example of why you should STOP PRE-ORDERING GAMES.

    I really think it deserves a 3, but decided to give it a bonus point for only costing $10 in the clearance bin. This will be an ongoing example of how NOT to make video games— the only thing missing is its own desert landfill.
  82. Termin8ter
    Jan 31, 2016
    2
    Aliens: Colonial Marines is a TURRIBLE game which only place it deserves in your game collection is a drink coaster. I should have known not to trust Gearbox after the unfinished disaster: Duke Nukem Forever. The gameplay demos for this piece of sh@# are plain lies, tricking you into buying this unfinished sh@#tty piece of s@# . The AI is as smart as a grain of salt, the gameplay isAliens: Colonial Marines is a TURRIBLE game which only place it deserves in your game collection is a drink coaster. I should have known not to trust Gearbox after the unfinished disaster: Duke Nukem Forever. The gameplay demos for this piece of sh@# are plain lies, tricking you into buying this unfinished sh@#tty piece of s@# . The AI is as smart as a grain of salt, the gameplay is mind-numbingly boring, and a rock could write a better story. *sighs*. If you want a good Alien game, buy Alien Isolation.… Expand
  83. dylansgaming48
    Jul 28, 2023
    2
    do not buy this alien colonial marines is a really horrible game very buggy and laggy and the framrate is all over the place

Awards & Rankings

11
#11 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2013
57
#57 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
48

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 47 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 47
  3. Negative: 22 out of 47
  1. Console Monster
    Apr 3, 2013
    40
    There was a lot of hope for Aliens: Colonial Marines but it seems the gaming world is let down with another attempt to make a successful film tie in. The review should give you a few good reasons why the game suffers but other aspects such as the overused catchphrase ‘Stay frosty!’ and anticlimactic ending are a couple more to add to the list and this is why you should wait until this game gets thrown into the bargain bin before you purchase.
    Read full review
  2. GameCritics
    Apr 1, 2013
    20
    I'm not that witty, but I am pretty vulgar—as a result, all I can say is that if Aliens: Colonial Marines had been fished out of a Marine's colon during emergency surgery it wouldn't surprise me in the least.
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  3. Games Master UK
    Mar 24, 2013
    62
    An unremarkable FPS plagued by dim AI and repetitive set-pieces. [Apr 2013, p.68]
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